Wilco Publishing, based in Drogenbos, Belgium, wants you to experience the joy of flying - hang gliding, actually - without having to worry about, well, killing yourself.

　　The company has developed Hangsim, a hang-gliding simulator that uses a specialized 3D spatial engine, real-world air currents that follow terrain and dynamic weather effects, 16-bit photorealistic terrain at three meters per pixel, and all the accompanying sound hang gliding produces.

　　Hangsim also offers four flight modes, competition modes, and a flight record that analyzes your performance.

　　"I've flown hang gliders for over five years and light airplanes for ten, and I wanted to create a simulator that reproduced the experience in a way that no flight sim on the market has done before," said lead designer and aeronautical engineer Ilan Papini. "I wanted to feel the winds created by the topography beneath me, have my aircraft handle differently in different wind conditions, and hear the real sounds you actually hear as conditions change. That's what Hangsim is all about."

　　Hangsim is due for release in October, but no word yet on what publishing or distribution arrangement, if any, has been made in the United States. It can be ordered online via Wilco's web site link to the right.